Finding Home
by IvanCurios
Summary: A series of largely unrelated G-rated ficlets about Kotetsu and Barnaby's relationship, raising Kaede, and the future. Spoilers
1. Pet

**Author's Note:** I claim no ownership of any characters, locations, or themes in these ficlets. Please consider leaving a review and/or constructive criticism. I also take requests for ficlets!

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Kotetsu shoved a large box into Barnaby's hands. He could tell something was moving inside of it and peeked over the edge to see a cage.<p>

"Kotetsu… what…?" he tried to ask, distracted by the strangely coloured animal. He set the box on one of the bus station benches to lean over and get a better look. "Is that a—"

"It's a rabbit," Kotetsu said sheepishly. "I didn't want you to get lonely in the city by yourself."

"But its fur…"

"Ah, heh, I dyed it to look like a tiger! Because, well, you know." Kotetsu ducked his head to hide his embarrassment. "But you don't like it, I should have known you'd be too busy at your parents' old lab to look after a pet, anyway. I could see if Kaede wants it."

Barnaby peered at the animal and fought back laughter. He glanced back at Kotetsu and couldn't resist smiling. "I'll call him Hero," he said quietly, grabbing the man's tie and pulling him in for a kiss just as his bus to Sternbild City rolled into the station.


	2. Family Game Night

"Dad?" Kaede poked her head into the living room.

"Oh, good morning, Kaede," Kotetsu said. "I didn't think you would be awake this early on a Saturday. Are you hungry?" He was laying on the sofa with his arms behind his head and his feet on Barnaby's lap. Barnaby had propped his book on Kotetsu's feet and was reading intently. "Hey, Bunny, pick up your book so I can make Kaede some breakfast." He swung his legs around to the floor and got up.

Kaede shuffled into the kitchen and sat down, yawning. "Mister Barnaby is still here? I thought he went home last night."

"What? Oh, no. He wanted to stay and visit for awhile. Oh, and he wants to know if you'd like to go to the zoo today." Kotetsu brought her a glass of juice and busied himself making breakfast.

"Thanks, Daddy," she said, taking a sip. "I would love to go to the zoo, but… why does he want to go to the zoo with me?"

"Because he likes you. Whoops!" Kotetsu nearly dropped a pan on his foot but caught it just in time.

"But he lives in the city. You told me he is working there, working on robots like his parents did."

"Yes, that's right."

"So why does he visit us so much? We don't live very close to him."

Kotetsu looked over his shoulder at her and grinned. "He comes over to get my advice. You might not think it, but your Daddy is a very wise man."

"Dad!" Kaede protested. "That's not funny!"

He frowned and returned to stirring. "Gee, Kaede, you don't have to be so crabby in the morning. I think he visits because he misses having a family. You don't complain when Uncle Antonio comes to visit." He prepared a plate for her and set it on the table in front of her.

Kaede took the plate and pouted at it. "I'm not complaining. But even Uncle Antonio doesn't come over for family game night."

Kotetsu sat across the table from her. "That's because he cheats."

"No, Daddy, _you_ cheat."

"That's not cheating! It's being resourceful!"

"_It's cheating_," she insisted. "but you don't have a nickname for Uncle Antonio, either."

"A nickname?"

"You call Mister Barnaby 'Bunny.'"

He laughed. "That's just what the Heroes call him. It's a joke."

"None of the other Heroes called him that. They all called him Barnaby."

"Okay, you got me," Kotetsu said, defeated. "Bunny comes over so much because he loves us."

"He loves us?"

"Yes, and he wants to feel like he is part of our family. Don't you want him to be a part of our family?" Kaede looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"But Dad," she said with a frown, "what about Mum?"

"What do you mean?"

"Won't that be like replacing Mum? And what about Grandma?"

"Oh, no, Kaede! He wouldn't be replacing anyone! You honestly think there is anyone in the world who could replace your mother?" Kotetsu reached across the table and held his daughter's hand. "Nobody's being replaced. Not ever. Okay?"

Kaede sniffed and a tear ran down her cheek. "Okay. But Dad?"

"Yes, Kaede?"

"Do I have to call him 'Dad,' too?"

From the doorway, Barnaby let out a hearty laugh. "I think not! That would get confusing, wouldn't it?" Kaede blushed. "Why don't you just call me Barnaby? That works just fine. Now, have you finished your breakfast?"

She nodded. "Yes, Mis—yes, Barnaby."

"Good! Then go get dressed so we can head to the zoo early. I hear they've got a new habitat for the polar bears."

"Okay!" Kaede stood from the table and walked around it to hug her father tightly. "I love you, Daddy." She hesitantly approached Barnaby, who smiled down at her, then she latched around his waist. "I love you too, Barnaby. I'm glad you want to be in our family."

He embraced her. "Me too, Kaede. Now, let's get ready to go! The polar bears are waiting for us."

She pulled back and grinned at him, then raced to her room, calling, "The lemurs, too!"


	3. Tomato Sauce

Kotetsu swooped into the room far too early in the morning and awoke Barnaby with a kiss. He plopped something on the bed over Barnaby's legs.

"Kotetsu, wha-?"

"Breakfast in bed!"

Barnaby sat up, scratching his head. "Why?" Kotetsu smiled mysteriously and offered no response. "Erm, thank you." He examined the tray that was covered in foods that he liked but Kotetsu didn't. He shot a suspicious look at his partner, who was sitting on the other side of the bed, waiting for him to eat.

Barnaby tentatively brought the first bite up to his mouth but was interrupted by Kotetsu jumping up and saying, "Wait!" He dashed off to the kitchen and hurried back with a bottle. He set it on the breakfast tray with a clunk.

Barnaby stared. "Tomato sauce? With breakfast?" he asked.

"What? No!" Kotetsu snatched the bottle and examined it. "Oh, actually, yes. I guess I grabbed the wrong thing at the store."

"I see." Barnaby carefully picked up the tray and set it on the nightstand.

"Bunny, what's wrong? Is it not good? I was taking a course in international cuis—mmf!" Kotetsu was interrupted by a frenzy of kisses.

Nobody minded that the breakfast went cold.


	4. New Hero on the Block

"But Dad!"

"No, Kaede, for the last time! I said no!"

"Barnaby, talk some sense into him, please?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree with your father on this."

Kaede stamped her foot. "I want to be a Hero! I _will_ be a Hero!" she cried. "You were both Heroes—the best Heroes there ever were! How can you possibly tell me not to follow in your footsteps?"

"It's too dangerous, Kaede." Kotetsu removed his arm from around Barnaby's shoulders and sat forward with his hands in his lap. Barnaby adjusted himself slightly on the couch so his knee was touching Kotetsu's.

"For your information, I happen to be strongest NEXT of my age and the top candidate for the Hero Academy! Criminals wouldn't stand a chance against me!" Kaede said. "And I've already gotten an offer from both of your former main sponsors."

Barnaby frowned. "Bandai offered to sponsor you?"

"And SoftBank?" Kotetsu choked.

Kaede nodded. "They even drew a mock-up of the suit they want me to wear. Look!"

Her parents gaped.

"_Absolutely not!"_ thundered Kotetsu, rising to his feet. "I will not have my little girl running around in that… that…"

"Kotetsu," Barnaby warned, seeing where this argument was heading.

The older man sat back down and snorted angrily. "Out of the question."

"I'm not your little girl anymore, Dad! I've grown up, which you've failed to notice!"

Barnaby put his hand on Kotetsu's back and drew circles with his thumb. "Kaede, what about SoftBank?"

She held out another drawing, and her father groaned loudly. "You're trying to kill me. This is payback for me leaving to be a Hero when you were little, and now you want me to die from shame, having my daughter running around dressed like that."

Kaede stuck out her lower lip in a pout, and Barnaby felt his resolve weaken. "What if we were to get the final say on costume approval?" he suggested. Kaede looked pensive.

"No!" shouted Kotetsu. "None of this. No bargaining, nothing! You won't be a Hero! I forbid it!"

Barnaby held up a hand to silence Kaede's impending fit. "Kotetsu," he whispered, "she has her heart set on this. Stopping her would be like trying to stop you or me. She learned to be stubborn from the best. Why don't we meet her halfway?"

Kotetsu put his head in his hands and moaned, "My little girl…"

Kaede knelt in front of him. "Please, Daddy? I promise I'll be safe. You and Barnaby taught me everything you know. I… I'll even let you come along and talk to the suit designers."

After a long pause, Kotetsu nodded in defeat.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy! Thank you Barnaby!" She hugged both of them tightly. "I'll call the Academy right now and tell them I'm attending! I'm going to be a Hero!" She leapt out of the room, a gust of wind following in her wake.

After she was out of earshot, Kotetsu sat up straight and flung his arm back around Barnaby's shoulders. "That was easier than I thought," he mused.

"Yes," Barnaby agreed. "Now let's go have a chat with that suit designer."


	5. Sorcery

Kaede came home from school early one day crying and plunged between Barnaby and Kotetsu, who were sitting on the sofa and watching Antonio arrest someone on Hero TV. She sobbed incoherently for a few minutes and covered her father's shirt with snot and tears as they tried to calm her down.

"Kaede, what's wrong?" Kotetsu repeated. "Why aren't you at school?" She shook her head and wailed something into his chest.

"Kaede," Barnaby said softly, and when she looked at him, he raised a hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear. "We can't help you until you tell us why you're upset." She sniffed loudly and took a few shuddering breaths. "That's my girl," he said, leaning forward to kiss her on the top of her head. "Now what's wrong?"

She took the tissue that Kotetsu offered her and blew her nose. "A man came to school today to speak about the NEXT. They had to make him leave because he… he said…" she gulped.

"What did he say?" Kotetsu said in a low voice, his nostrils flaring. He noticed that Barnaby's hand was in a fist under his, and he worked his fingers between Barnaby's to hold his hand, giving it a squeeze to calm him down.

Kaede looked like she was about to cry again. "He said that the NEXT are dangerous, that they use sorcery and evil magic to hurt others!" More tears spilled from her eyes. "He said they should lock up all the NEXT. He said we were a-a… a menace!"

"So you left early?" Barnaby said through gritted teeth. "To get away from him?" The girl hiccuped and buried her face in her father's chest once again.

"Kaede, why are you home early?" Kotetsu asked. She mumbled something. Kotetsu put a hand on her arm and pulled her away. "Once more?"

She bit her lip. "The headmaster sent me home."

"What!" Barnaby cried. "Why?"

Kaede looked between her parents nervously. "I… I froze him! That man who was saying those things! I didn't mean to! It just… happened! I'm so sorry!" she wept.

Kotetsu laughed and pulled her close. "I believe you. It's so hard to control your powers when they first develop."

Barnaby chuckled and ruffled her hair. "I'm glad you dealt with him so we don't have to."

"That's right," Kotetsu agreed.

"Not that we're condoning attacking people just because they are ignorant," Barnaby reminded her.

"I know," she sniffed. "You promise you aren't mad?"

"Well, I am," Kotetsu huffed. "But not at you. Hey, Bunny, pass me the phone, will you?"

Barnaby grabbed the phone and started to dial. "I can handle this. You tell Kaede about the criminal that Uncle Antonio just caught."

Kotetsu complied readily, embellishing what he had just watched, and listening with one ear to Barnaby in the background saying, "Hello, Headmaster? This is Barnaby Brooks Jr., and I'm calling to speak with you about an incident at school today involving my daughter."


	6. New Baby

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kotetsu fretted. "What if Kaede feels… left out? Or replaced?"

"We already spoke to her," Barnaby reminded him, kissing his forehead to reassure him. "She thinks it's a wonderful idea." It wasn't worth mentioning that this had already been set in stone nearly a year ago, and any doubts now were superfluous. Kotetsu moved closer to Barnaby, curling against him on the bed and feeling his breath rustling through his hair.

"And you will be happy?" he murmured into his chest.

"Ecstatic." Barnaby tightened his arms around Kotetsu and held him as they slept.

The next morning, they met with the surrogate mother and went into the hospital with her so they could induce labour. This time it was Kotetsu's turn to be calm whilst Barnaby was beside himself with anxiety.

Many hours later, they peered down at a scrunched up face with a tiny tuft of blond atop his head. Barnaby held him like he was made of glass, and Kotetsu had a sudden attack of allergies and had to leave to find a box of tissues. When it was time to bring their new baby home, they left the hospital together, hand-in-hand, and they drove home in a silence broken only by occasional whispers of, "Hello, little Sammy" and "Our beautiful boy."


	7. To Sing

Shortly after retiring and returning home to Oriental Town, Kotetsu and Barnaby discovered that their daughter had taken a shining to Blue Rose. Kaede and Karina had exchanged phone numbers after the entire Maverick incident, and the two girls quickly formed a friendship. Whenever Kotetsu and Barnaby wanted a night out in the city, Karina would volunteer to babysit and train Kaede to sing. Kaede would beg Karina to come to all of her skating shows. Karina would beg Kaede's parents to let her go to all of her concerts.

Some ten years later, Karina used her powers to freeze Kotetsu solid and asked Barnaby and him if she had permission to date their daughter. After a brief discussion about the difference in their ages that Kaede's fathers really couldn't argue against, they gave their blessing to Karina.

To nobody's surprise, the two became unstoppable partnered Heroes, and Sternbild City was safer than it had ever been before. Blue Rose's famous concerts on ice were constantly sold out, and rumours spread like wildfire that one of her backup singers was also her choreographer who created new award-winning routines for every venue.

By the time the two retired, they had nearly doubled the number of record-winning points from Barnaby's most successful season. But points didn't matter to them so much by the end of their careers; they were already planning their next big adventure with one of the workers from an adoption agency.


	8. ParentTeacher Conference

"As you know, Kaede has recently developed her NEXT powers, and I certain that it's obvious by the state of the classroom why I've called you in today, Mister Kaburagi and… er…" the teacher faltered. "I'm sorry, it's just that you look so much like—"

"Barnaby Brooks Jr., pleased to meet you," Barnaby bowed, trying not to notice the hole in the wall and the scores of broken desks.

"Oh, Mister Brooks, please come in!" the teacher gasped. "Here, you can sit in my chair. It's no trouble. What brings you here?"

Kotetsu crossed his arms impatiently. "Well, you called for a parent-teacher conference, didn't you?" he grumped, moving to lean against the chalkboard next to where Barnaby was sitting.

"Y-yes, but I didn't know that… That is, I wasn't expecting…" he stuttered. "I mean, of course you are welcome here, Mister Brooks. How do you know Kaede? Are you her uncle? Godfather?"

Barnaby frowned. "Something like that." Since he'd moved to the Kaburagi house in Oriental Town a few months after retiring from being a Hero, he and Kotetsu had agreed to attend the conference together, but they had never decided what to tell others when the subject of their relationship came up. Kotetsu liked to keep matters private; Barnaby didn't want to say anything to make him uncomfortable.

"What do you need?" Kotetsu changed the subject. Kaede's teacher only glanced at him before returning his awestruck gaze to Barnaby.

"Well, you see, Kaede has had trouble controlling her NEXT powers at school. She has been inadvertently causing a lot of property damage around the school," he explained. Barnaby shot a sly grin at Kotetsu—_like father, like daughter_—who glared in return.

"How can we help? Surely you don't intend to punish her for something she can't control," Barnaby reasoned.

"Ah, well, Mister Brooks, the Headmaster told us of a new school the next town over that enrols exclusively children with NEXT abilities. It will feature a high NEXT:non-NEXT staff ratio and the children can learn to incorporate their abilities into their normal class lessons. He wanted me to suggest this school to you and see what you thought." The teacher held out a pamphlet.

Kotetsu's face brightened dramatically as he took it. "Hey, wow. This could be a good idea…" he murmured, flipping through the pamphlet. "Bunny, look, we know him." He showed Barnaby a picture of one of the students he met at the Hero Academy. "This is the guy whose skin is stretchy, isn't it?"

Barnaby smiled at Kotetsu and stood. "Thank you for the suggestion. We will discuss it with Kaede this weekend. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, no, Mister Brooks. We just want Kaede to be safe and happy!" he said nervously. "Please have a good evening."

They were shooed out of the room and Kotetsu jumped when the door slammed. "So, Bunny," he said as they walked down the empty halls towards the exit, "they're trying to get rid of Kaede."

"Hmm, yes," Barnaby nodded. "They probably think she is a liability because of the strength of her power."

"I don't like it," Kotetsu sniffed. "Still, this new school looks promising." He reached with his free hand to entwine his fingers with Barnaby's.

"We'll have to ask Kaede what she wants."

"And if she wants to stay here with her friends?"

"Then she'll stay."

"We'll make sure of it?"

"Yes."


	9. Tea and Coffee

Barnaby didn't like to go out. He didn't like pubs, he didn't like crowds, he didn't even particularly like alcohol enough to be able to drink until he didn't mind the pubs and the crowds. Barnaby liked to stay at home and be together.

Kotetsu was quite the opposite. He enjoyed going to pubs and being lost in crowds. He liked to drink when there was occasion for it and even when there wasn't. But what he didn't prefer was intimate settings. He didn't prefer talking.

But when the two started being more than just work partners, they had to come to some sort of a compromise. They tried going out together, and they tried staying in together. And while both were alright in moderation, it never seemed like they got things quite right until the day Barnaby suggested a café.

"What." Kotetsu wasn't sold on the idea. "But that's where-" he had to cut himself off short before he said anything about _snooty, rich people_ because he didn't want Barnaby to think he was somehow insulting him. He knew how Barnaby could twist things around and hear them the wrong way, and he knew how he had the tendency to say the wrong thing at the worst possible time.

"Where what?" sighed Barnaby. They'd tried fine dining, they'd tried sports games, they'd even gone on a weekend cruise once. Whenever something suited one of them, it inevitably frustrated the other. Of course it wasn't grounds to give up, not by any means, but both were nearing the end of their wits when it came to going out.

"No, I was about to say something dumb," Kotetsu murmured. "Ignore what I said. Let's give it a try. It can't hurt, right?" He reached out and stroked Barnaby's cheek.

Barnaby smiled and leaned into the touch. "If we don't like it, we'll never have to go back," he promised. "Why don't we just try for a late lunch?"

Like all of their compromises, it seemed fair enough in principle. They strolled down the street together, wanting desperately to hold hands but not enough to set their fans talking about Barnaby's mysterious lover. They walked into the café together and got a small, round table in a dark corner.

A server came by and asked for their orders. Coffee for Kotetsu, tea for Barnaby, and they smiled at each other. One hand groped for another in the shadows, and under the table their knees touched just enough without it being too cramped for their long legs. They forgot to order food and they spoke in murmurs and secret looks.

It became habitual for them to meet at that same corner table after stressful workdays, and the first one to arrive could always order for the other. Tea and coffee. Coffee and tea. Kotetsu and Barnaby. Compromising at last.


	10. Sugar and Spice

Barnaby was babysitting for the first time since he and Kotetsu had started... _whatever_ it was they had. They hadn't bothered putting a label on themselves, and Barnaby suspected that short of a legal ceremony, they never would. Regardless, they were_something,_ and that meant that Barnaby had become an important addition to the Kaburagi family and all that entailed. This time, it entailed babysitting.

Apparently there was some important business happening with Tomoe's family, and Kotetsu and Anju were out of town taking care of that. Muramasa was working extra hours, and even though he hadn't said anything, everyone was suspecting that he had a special lady that he was keeping secret. That left Barnaby as the only one available to watch Kaede that weekend.

He was understandably nervous.

Kaede was beside herself with excitement, and she had set out films, books, and games for them to enjoy together. Barnaby arrived and picked her up in his arms, spinning her as she laughed. He wasn't too good with children-he never really knew what they wanted. But he had spent enough time with Kaede to understand her. She also wasn't shy about speaking her mind, which he found a godsend because there wasn't much room for misinterpretation when it came to her needs.

They waved to Anju and Kotetsu and made them promise to return in one piece, Barnaby stealing a quick kiss whilst Kaede was busy hugging her grandmother. They had discovered that she didn't mind whatever it was that was going on between the them, but she was at the age where she would loudly protest at any sign of physical affection. So off went Kotetsu and his mother, and Kaede pulled Barnaby into the house so they could start on the first activity she had planned.

That night, well after Barnaby had tucked Kaede into bed and at her request place a goodnight kiss on her forehead, his cell phone rang. He smiled. "Checking in on us already, Kotetsu?" he teased.

"Oh, well, you know!" stammered Kotetsu. "It's my job to worry about my daughter. And my... you." Barnaby could picture him scratching the back of his head sheepishly and laughed softly into the phone.

"We're doing fine. Splendidly, in fact," Barnaby informed him.

"What did you do today?"

"We played one of those board games that Hero TV released awhile back. She made me play as Wild Tiger because she wanted to hear me make fun of you," he chuckled. "We watched one of your favourite clips of Mr. Legend, and she kept comparing all his feats to yours, convincing me that you were the better hero. Then dinner, then we did some reading..."

Barnaby trailed off and he could've sworn he heard Kotetsu smiling into the phone. "She's some kid, huh?" her father finally said.

"She sure is," Barnaby agreed. "All sugar and spice."

Kotetsu hummed happily. "Well, good. Very good. Hey, we'll be home in two days. Try not to miss us too much, okay?"

"Likewise."

"Goodnight, Bunny."

"Goodnight, Kotetsu."

Barnaby peeked into Kaede's room and smiled. He would have to babysit more often.


	11. Pink and Green

Barnaby tried to look through a crack between his fingers, only to be smacked. "Bunny!" Kotetsu chided. "I didn't tell you to open your eyes yet!"

"I'm sorry. But really, Kotetsu, where are you leading me?" Barnaby was insanely curious, since Kotetsu had been leading him in circles in the relatively small house for several minutes. There weren't many places he could be.

"Oh, hush, you're ruining it." They stopped abruptly. "Okay, now you can look."

Barnaby opened his eyes. "W-what is this?" he cried.

It was their room, but it looked as though a colourblind five-year-old had been set loose unattended with a small collection of home decor supplies. It was a hideous mix of pink and green paint, wallpaper, and Wild Tiger and Barnaby merchandise. The bed had Wild Tiger blankets and Barnaby pillows, the wall was plastered in posters, the shelves completely covered with action figures, magazines, and comics.

"Do you like it?" Kotetsu said, bouncing excitedly from shelf to desk to bed. "Look, this is the new poster they're releasing next week! And here are those action figures! And I've organised all the magazines alphabetically and based on which Heroes are featured in them!"

Barnaby's brow furrowed. It looked terrible. It was garish. It was impossible. Yet he couldn't say any of these things in the wake of Kotetsu's seriously misguided but genuine hard work. "Oh, Kotetsu," he laughed. "What would I do without you?"

"Live a very boring and uncolourful life," Kotetsu teased, leaning forward and puckering his lips expectantly.

Barnaby readily complied, kissing him sweetly. "That's right. My life is _definitely_ more colourful with you in it," he chuckled. "We might have to... reorganise a bit, but I, erm, appreciate the effort."

"Hey, don't make any decisions to change it just yet!" Kotetsu protested. "Why don't you sleep on these nice new sheets and see if that changes your mind?"

Barnaby raised an eyebrow, pushing Kotetsu backwards until he fell on the bed, climbing on top of him. "I think I have a much better idea for how to put the sheets to use," he smirked, setting his slight fingers to work on the buttons on Kotetsu's vest.


	12. Twitter and Facebook

Barnaby stared at the screen. "Agnes, what is this? That isn't me."

"Oh, but Barnaby, don't be like that!" She gave a dismissive wave of her hand in his direction. "It's the perfect way to reach your growing fanbase. This is what the young people want."

"I understand that, Miss Joubert, but the fact remains that this person isn't me." Barnaby pushed up his glasses. "Who is impersonating me?"

The computer beeped and the screen updated with a new tweet from BarnabyBrooksJr reading: "Criminals beware! Wild Tiger and I are on patrol tonight." It almost instantly was copied on his 'personal' Facebook page.

Kotetsu bristled next to Barnaby. "Hey, Agnes," he muttered, "you never said we were on patrol tonight."

Agnes looked at him with an expression on her face that clearly showed how stupid she thought he was being at the moment. "You aren't, Wild Tiger. But with over three million eighteen thousand followers and counting on Twitter and Facebook, we thought that we could strike a little extra fear into criminals' hearts everywhere by making it seem as though you were ever-vigilant. Plus, it will create even better ratings once people tune in with the expectation of seeing our most famous duo!" Agnes clasped her hands to her face and swooned.

Barnaby was glaring at the screen. "That's all well and good, Miss Joubert, but who is running the accounts? One of the CEOs? Who?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Agnes, "we thought we would choose someone who knew you better than anyone else—" Barnaby fought the urge to shoot a questioning glance at Kotetsu as she continued on obliviously, "—and picked from your fans the most capable and knowledgeable girl: Kaede Kaburagi, your own daughter!"

"What!"

"What?"

Kotetsu and Barnaby looked at each other in surprise as they spoke at the same time. Seeing one another's astonishment, Kotetsu stuffed his fist into his mouth and Barnaby ducked his head, both of them choking back laughter. Agnes had been looking at Kotetsu when she said "your daughter," but now her eyes were darting between her two top Heroes who were, from all appearances, absolutely losing their minds.

"I demand you tell me what's going on!" she shouted over their mirth. Kotetsu was doubled over, and Barnaby was leaning face-first into a wall, banging his fist and shaking with silent laughter.

Neither of them had calmed down enough by the time Agnes got fed up and kicked them out of her office to tell her that Barnaby had just finished signing the last of the legal documents and that Kaede was for all intents and purposes_his_ own daughter, too. They sat in the hall, leaning against each other, still occasionally dissolving into chuckles and having to regain their breath.

"I'd better call her," Barnaby finally managed to squeak out. "Let her know that I would never use a winking face when talking about violent criminals."

Kotetsu hid his face in his knees and sniggered, "I never knew you wrote like a thirteen-year-old girl, but I'm sure all your three million followers are convinced of it. Ow!" Barnaby smacked him on the shoulder with a little too much force before rising to his feet and holding out a hand.

"Come on, Kotetsu," he grinned. "Let's go home and have a chat with _your own daughter_."

Kotetsu grabbed his hand and hoisted himself up. "_Our_ own daughter, Bunny." His gaze met twinkling green eyes, and he couldn't resist stealing a kiss.


	13. The Birds and the Bees

Kaede was asking the question Kotetsu had always been dreading. Barnaby had already made his position clear—he would take no responsibility for any part of this discussion—so Kotetsu was on his own for this one.

"Daddy?" Kaede asked again. He hadn't been listening.

"Er, eh, what?"

"Are you going to explain it to me?"

He swallowed hard. "You, eh… you want to know how the… how, erm… babies…"

"Sex, Daddy!" Kaede said, turning red. "Some of the other kids are talking about it at school and I-I don't know what they mean!"

Kotetsu nearly slipped off the edge of her bed, where he was sitting. "Augh, Kaede!" he cried.

"What?" she harrumphed, clearly uncomfortable.

Kotetsu made a pathetic sort of noise before clearing his throat. "Nothing, sorry, I'm just… nervous."

Kaede gave him a frustrated look. "Why? You know all about it! I'm the one who doesn't understand."

Her father raised his eyebrows and nodded. "You have a point," he conceded. "Well, just… be patient with Daddy. I—you'll understand someday why this makes me so nervous." She nodded.

"Okay, well, Kaede, what you have to understand is that, erm, before anything else," Kotetsu began, "is that you never should have sex… o-or do anything else, for that matter, unless you're absolutely sure you want to."

"How do I know if I want to?" she asked.

"Ah, well, if you feel unsure or unsafe, that probably means you don't want to. Especially if you feel unsafe. And no matter what anybody says, even if they try to say you owe them or try to convince you to change your mind… n-nobody gets to make that decision for you. Alright? It's always up to you." Kotetsu held his breath.

"Okay, Daddy."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. Well, as for what sex is… eh heh heh…" Kotetsu paused. He'd been trying to prepare himself for years but still had never managed to think of what to say ahead of time. He always sort of hoped someone else—preferably a woman—would do this instead of him, but with Tomoe gone and his mother wholly unwilling to participate, the responsibility had remained with him. All he knew was that he wanted his daughter to have all the information he never had growing up. She shouldn't have to learn about sex from schoolyard hearsay and stolen adult magazines.

He looked at her. "Kaede, I'm going to say everything at once, then once I'm done, I want you to ask me as many questions as you can think of, even if you feel embarrassed, okay?"

"Yes, Dad," she said, and her eyes went wide.

Kotetsu launched into a speech about the differences between boys and girls, the different types of sexual activities, the importance of using condoms every time, and more. Kaede's face grew a deeper and deeper shade of red with every passing moment, but she listened, rapt.

When Kotetsu had finished, he forced himself to continue looking at Kaede, even though he wanted nothing more than to run out of the room and leave her with the stack of informational books he'd brought in with him. "Any questions?" he finally said.

Kaede went silent and looked at the floor for a moment, wiggling uncomfortably before finally whispering something.

"What was that?"

"I said, 'Is it okay to only like girls or only like boys?'" she repeated.

Kotetsu stared. "What? I… I don't understand what you're asking."

Her eyes practically bore holes through the floorboards. "You loved Mummy, who was a girl, but you also love Barnaby, and he's a boy!" she exclaimed. "What if I only love one, either boys or girls?"

Kotetsu laughed and fought the urge to pull her into a hug. "Kaede, you are allowed to love whomever you want, and that's just fine. Before I met your mother, I didn't even know that I could fall in love with a woman," he admitted. "As long as you are safe and happy, Kaede, that's all that's important. Now, er, I brought you some books that might explain better than I can. You can read them or you can ignore them, I don't care. Just, erm… just let me know if you ever have questions or…"

Kaede's voice was small and embarrassed, but she smiled at her father as he stood to leave her room. "Th-thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, my angel."


	14. Morning

Barnaby woke up with something scratching his neck. He moved his head slightly, feeling soft hair brushing against his cheek. His body slowly began to register interlocked limbs and a rhythmic breath tickling down his neck and over his exposed chest. Barnaby finally cracked his eyes open, braving the morning brightness and trying to stretch his aching muscles without disturbing the other man tangled in a mess of legs and arms and sheets in the small bed. No such luck. A quiet moan escaped from Kotetsu's mouth before he fully woke up, sending shivers down Barnaby's spine.

"Good morning," Barnaby murmured in a voice thick with fatigue and satisfaction, wriggling slightly downwards on the bed and rolling on his side just enough to nuzzle the beard he always made fun of. Kotetsu's tongue made an appearance just long enough to wet chapped lips, which Barnaby then covered with his own, pressing small, chaste kisses to Kotetsu's mouth, provoking quiet laughter.

"My little Bunny." The words tumbled hot out of Kotetsu's mouth and poured down Barnaby's skin, which responded with a delightful shiver. Kotetsu shifted, freeing his hands so he could place them around Barnaby's face and pull him on top, kissing him with heightened intensity.

Barnaby let out a cry as he felt them both tipping a bit too far. "Agh!" They tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, and both of them ended up snickering, still intwined and in no hurry to move.

One of them said, "I think we need a bigger bed," but they weren't sure which, and it didn't really matter anyway. There was no telling where Kotetsu stopped and Barnaby began; they were a single, laughing, kissing entity, laying on the floor, soaking up the sun, the warmth, and the love.


	15. Tiger and Bunny

**Author's Note:** While the other "chapters" in this story could be interpreted as all being loosely part of the same canon, I want to note that as far as I am concerned, this ficlet is not part of my headcanon, as it were. However, it was a great prompt and I couldn't refuse writing it.

* * *

><p>Barnaby nearly kicked his new partner. "What did you say that for, Old Man?" he cried. Kotetsu stared at him mutely as he changed out of his new battle suit; he wasn't sure what Barnaby was talking about, and even if he did know, he was still reeling from seeing his daughter nearly <em>crushed <em>that he couldn't focus on anything else. Barnaby punched him in the chest.

"Oof-hey!" Kotetsu cried. "What's your problem?" He ducked another blow just in time.

"Just because your identity is protected doesn't mean you can broadcast my own secrets to the world," Barnaby growled, aiming a fist at Kotetsu's stomach.

Kotetsu caught his fist and threw him back onto the bench. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't tell anybody anything!"

Barnaby gaped at him in disbelief. "You honestly don't kn-you are even more stupid and useless than I thought!" He threw his hands up in the air and turned to storm away.

"Wait, I don't understand," Kotetsu ran to grab Barnaby by the shoulder. "Why are you so mad at me, Bunny?" He smiled at his own joke, feeling clever. Barnaby, however, was much less amused. He spun around violently.

"'Bunny!' That's why! My name is Barnaby," he scowled. "You would do well to remember that, you daft… Do we not have the same power, or have you really hidden the other aspect of your Hundred Power from the public so well?"

Kotetsu froze. "M-my… the other aspect?" he coughed. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talki-"

Barnaby interrupted him with a slap across the face. "We have the same power, you fool. Saito designed our suits accordingly, and _I don't want you broadcasting my business to criminals."_

The look of confusion on Kotetsu's face slowly dissolved as the wheels turned and he began to understand. "Y-you mean you… oh. Oh!" cried Kotetsu. "Oh, you really are a bun-"

A hand clamped over his mouth. "Shh!" Barnaby hissed, anger flashing in his eyes. "Don't you dare say it."

Kotetsu had had enough. He bared his teeth behind Barnaby's hand and let out a low growl. "I don't appreciate being interrupted." Barnaby flinched as he felt a sharp tooth dig into his palm, and he pulled his hand away.

"N-now, Kotetsu, let's think about this," he gulped, backing away. "I'm sure you don't really want to… you… we're still partners, remember?" But he knew there was nothing stopping the transformation now, and he watched skin stretch and pull and change colours, hands and feet growing into great, padded paws concealing razor-sharp claws. Barnaby backed away slowly, his hands held out as a great tiger stalked towards him calmly. He felt panic rising from his stomach, internally cursing their sponsors. Why had they partnered the old predator with the young prey? In the blink of an eye, he kicked open a ventilation grate and transformed, racing far enough into the small space where the large cat couldn't reach him. He shivered there for the better part of thirty minutes, his long ears pressed flat against his head, until Kotetsu finally grew bored of waiting and left with a distinct huff.

Years later in their partnership, they used the secondary ability of their Hundred Power to their advantage. Kotetsu was known to prank people by leaving a seemingly tame tiger in friends' and criminals' homes alike, but nobody could ever figure out how he did it. Meanwhile, Barnaby had the ability to completely disappear from everyone for days or even weeks on end if he wanted. The only person who could find him when he dropped off the radar was Kotetsu, which did nothing to dispel the rumours surrounding the seriousness of their relationship outside of work.

But had any of the speculators-be they coworkers, friends, or fans-been privy to what happened every time Kotetsu had to find a missing Barnaby, there would have been no doubt about any of these questions. Nobody had the opportunity to see Kotetsu let himself into Barnaby's flat and sniff carefully, practically tasting the air to see if he was there. There were no witnesses that could describe Kotetsu crawling halfway under Barnaby's bed to coax a scared rabbit to come out and rest in his arms. And there was certainly not a single person who could have revealed to the tabloids the all-too-common scenario of a quiet tiger laying on the bed, curling protectively around a sleeping, golden-haired youth as though he thought he could chase away nightmares and sadness with a wave of an orange paw. And sometimes, rarely, when words were meaningless and there was no other way to communicate, the two would sit together in their animal forms, Tiger and Bunny, feeling their two heartbeats complementing each other, breathing, speaking with only the twitch of whiskers.


End file.
